10 early warning signs of a stroke
A stroke can occur without much warning, so don’t wait for a set of symptoms to appear. Sudden neurological changes should be treated seriously.
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Face drooping — one side of the face suddenly feels numb or looks uneven when smiling.
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Arm weakness or numbness — especially sudden weakness affecting one side.
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Leg weakness or numbness — particularly when it appears suddenly.
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Slurred speech — speech suddenly becomes unclear or difficult to produce.
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Difficulty understanding speech — suddenly struggling to understand what someone is saying.
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Sudden vision changes — loss, blurring, or double vision in one or both eyes.
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Sudden dizziness or loss of balance — difficulty walking or coordinating movements.
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Sudden severe headache — especially an abrupt, unusually intense headache with no obvious cause.
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Sudden confusion — new difficulty thinking, understanding, or knowing where you are.
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Sudden difficulty swallowing — particularly when it appears alongside other neurological symptoms.
🚨 Remember FAST
F — Face: Ask the person to smile.
A — Arms: Ask them to raise both arms.
S — Speech: Ask them to repeat a simple sentence.
T — Time: If anything is abnormal, call emergency medical services immediately.
A TIA (“mini-stroke”) can cause similar symptoms that disappear after a short time. Even if the person feels normal again, it still requires urgent medical assessment.
If symptoms are happening right now, note the time they started (or the last time the person was known to be well), call emergency services, and don’t wait for the symptoms to go away.
